September E-mini S&Ps (ESU13 +0.39%) this morning are up +0.36% and European stocks are up +0.72% after China's exports and imports rose more than expected last month, a sign the Chinese economy is stabilizing. Asian stocks closed mixed: Japan -1.59%, Hong Kong +0.31%, China -0.17%, Taiwan -0.17%, Australia +1.07%, South Korea +0.26%, India +0.67%. Commodity prices are higher. Sep crude oil (CLU13 -0.21%) is up +0.05%, Sep gasoline (RBU13 +0.11%) is up +0.17%, Dec gold (GCZ13 +0.25%) is up +0.26%, and Sep copper (HGU13 +2.51%) is up +2.74% at a 1-3/4 month high on stronger-than-expected trade data from China, the biggest copper consumer. Agricultural and livestock prices are higher with Oct cattle up +2.41% at a 4-month high after Tyson Foods, the top U.S. meat processor, said it plans to stop buying animals fed with the feed supplement Zilmax, made by Merk & Co., after discovering lame livestock at factories. The dollar index (DXY00 -0.16%) is down -0.17% at a 1-1/2 month low. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is up +0.17% at a 1-1/2 month high after German exports rose in July and USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.02% at a 1-1/2 month low after the yen strengthened when the BOJ refrained from adding additional stimulus. September T-note prices (ZNU13 +0.02%) are unchanged.

China's July trade balance was a $17.82 billion surplus, smaller than expectations of $26.90 billion. July exports rose +5.1% y/y, stronger than expectations of +2.0% y/y and July imports jumped +10.9% y/y, stronger than expectations of +1.0% y/y.

The Japan July eco watchers survey current unexpectedly fell to a 6-month low of 52.3 from 53.0 in Jun, weaker than expectations of a +0.5 point increase to 53.5. The July eco watchers survey outlook was unchanged at 53.6 from Jun, also weaker than expectations of a +0.5 point increase to 54.1.

U.S. STOCK PREVIEW

The Treasury today will sell $16 billion in 30-year T-bonds, concluding this week's $72 billion Treasury coupon package. Today's weekly initial unemployment claims report is expected to show an increase of +9,000 to 335,000, reversing part of last week's decline of -19,000 to 326,000. Meanwhile, continuing claims are expected to show a small +2,000 increase to 2.953 million following last week's decline of -52,000 to 2.951 million. There are 8 of the S&P 500 companies that are scheduled to report earnings today: Scripps (consensus $1.05), Windstream (0.09), NVIDIA (0.19), Monster Beverage (0.64), CareFushion (0.56), Priceline.com (9.43), Beam (0.60), AES (0.28).

Conferences during the remainder of this week include the Mitsubishi Technology Tour on Mon-Thu, Goldman Sachs Power and Utility Conferenceon Thu, and Nasdaq Summer Analyst Conference on Fri.

RealD (RLD -2.82%) signed an exclusive 10-year deal with Mexico's Cinemex that calls for approximately 700 auditoriums across the Cinemex circuit in Mexico to be equipped with RealD 3D technology, including the removal of approximately 540 alternative 3D systems that will be replaced with RealD 3D within the next two years.

The dollar index (DXY00 -0.16%) this morning is down -0.136 (-0.17%) at a 1-1/2 month low. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is up +0.0023 (+0.16%) at a 1-1/2 month high and USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.02 (-0.02%) at a 1-1/2 month low. The dollar index on Wednesday fell to a 1-1/2 month low and closed lower. EUR/USD closed higher after German Jun industrial production rose +2.4% m/m, the biggest increase in 23 months. USD/JPY dropped to a 1-1/2 month low on speculation the BOJ probably won't expand stimulus measures at its 2-day meeting that ends Thursday. Closes: Dollar index -0.316 (-0.39%), EUR/USD +0.0031 (+0.23%), USD/JPY -1.403 (-1.44%).

Sep WTI crude oil (CLU13 -0.21%) this morning is up +5 cents a barrel (+0.05%) and Sep gasoline (RBU13 +0.11%) is up +0.0049 (+0.17%). Sep crude oil and gasoline prices on Wednesday closed lower. Bearish factors included (1) weekly EIA data that showed U.S. crude production rose +0.2% to 7.56 million barrels a day in the week ended Aug 2, the most in 23-1/2 years, and (2) the slide in gasoline to a 4-week low after weekly EIA gasoline inventories unexpectedly rose +135,000 bbl, higher than expectations for a -500,000 bbl draw. Limiting declines in crude was (1) the slide in the dollar index to a 1-1/2 month low, and (2) the -2.245 million bbl drop in crude oil stockpiles at Cushing, OK, the delivery point for WTI futures, to a 16-month low of 39.874 million bbl. Closes: CLU3 -0.93 (-0.88%), RBU3 -0.0440 (-1.51%).